1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrostatic image developing toner usable in an electrophotographic apparatus (image forming apparatus) utilizing an electro-photographic process, such as duplicator, printer and facsimile. The present invention also relates to an electrostatic image developer using the electrostatic image developing toner, an image forming method, an image forming apparatus and a printed matter.
2. Related Art
At present, a method of visualizing image information through an electrostatic latent image, such as electrophotographic process, is being widely utilized in various fields. In the electrophotographic process, an electrostatic image (electrostatic latent image) formed on an electrophotographic photoreceptor (electrostatic latent image carrying member; hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “photoreceptor”) through an electrostatic charging step, an exposure step and the like is developed with an electrostatic image developing toner (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a “toner”), and the electrostatic image is then visualized through a transfer step, a fixing step and the like.
In recent years, an image forming method by electrophotography using the above-described toner or developer technology has begun to be applied to a part of the printing region along with progress of digitalization and color processing, and its practical use is remarkably proceeding in the graphic art market including on-demand printing. The graphic art market as used herein indicates a business market in general relating to the production of a printed matter implemented by the copying or duplication of a creative printed matter produced in a small number by means of engraving or the like, or an original such as calligraphy and picture, or by the mass production system called reproduction, and is defined as a market targeting trades and services involving the production of a printed matter.
However, when compared with the original genuine conventional printing, despite the on-demand feature by virtue of plateless printing, it has been found that in order to fully substitute the printing and pursue the market value particularly as a production good in the graphic art region, there are still many problems to be solved in view of performance, such as color reproduction region, resolution, image quality represented by gloss characteristics, texture, image quality uniformity in the same image, and maintenance of image quality at continuous printing for a long period.